Jake Lamb Hired by Diamondbacks for Player Development Role

Jake Lamb’s move into a player development role with the Arizona Diamondbacks feels like a full-circle moment for a former All-Star who once helped anchor the franchise’s lineup. Let’s look back at Lamb’s rise, his peak seasons in the desert, the injuries that changed his path, his late-career journeyman chapter, and what his new role might mean for both him and the Diamondbacks.

From Sixth-Round Pick to Everyday Third Baseman

The Diamondbacks saw something in Jake Lamb early. They picked him in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of Washington.

He wasn’t some can’t-miss prospect, but his left-handed power, solid defense, and competitive edge helped him climb the system quickly. By 2014, Lamb forced the issue and made his MLB debut just two years after being drafted.

That’s a quick jump for a guy not taken in the first few rounds. Soon enough, he became Arizona’s everyday third baseman and gave the club a cost-controlled, homegrown player at a premium infield spot.

The Emergence of a Middle-of-the-Order Threat

Between 2016 and 2017, Lamb went from promising regular to a real middle-of-the-order threat. Over those two seasons, he launched 59 home runs and posted a .248/.345/.498 slash line in about 1,200 plate appearances.

Arizona needed that. The club was reshaping its identity and looking for anchors around Paul Goldschmidt.

Lamb provided thump, on-base ability, and tough at-bats in big moments. He was the kind of hitter every organization hopes to develop.

The 2017 All-Star Peak

Looking for the high point of Jake Lamb’s big-league run? It’s got to be 2017, when everything clicked at the plate.

Lamb finished 2017 with:

His production helped push Arizona back into the postseason. For a stretch, Lamb was exactly what the team needed behind Goldschmidt, giving the lineup real firepower.

Injury and the Turning Point in 2018

The momentum didn’t last, though. In 2018, a left shoulder issue led to season-ending rotator cuff surgery.

Lamb’s game relied on bat speed and torque, so that surgery marked a dividing line between his peak and everything that followed. He returned in 2019, but the old explosiveness just wasn’t there.

Lamb hit only .193 with six home runs that year. The numbers showed how tough it can be to get back to form after major shoulder surgery.

From Everyday Starter to Journeyman

Once it became clear the pre-injury production wasn’t coming back, Lamb’s role changed. Over the next few years, he bounced around, suiting up for six different teams looking for the right fit.

Even as he moved from club to club, Lamb kept producing at the Triple-A level through 2023. His bat still had some life, but the league’s focus on younger, more versatile players meant another real big-league shot never came.

Final MLB Numbers Tell the Story

Looking at the full arc of his big-league time, Lamb’s career stats show both his power and how injuries shaped his journey:

At his best, Lamb was an offensive force. He still managed to carve out a meaningful career despite some tough physical setbacks. For a sixth-round pick, that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Full Circle: Jake Lamb’s New Role in Player Development

Now, at 35 years old, Lamb is back with the organization that drafted him—this time as a mentor, not a bat in the lineup. He’s stepping into a player development role with the Diamondbacks, which pretty much signals his playing days are done, but it opens up a new chapter.

For young players in the system, learning from someone who’s seen both breakout success and career-altering injury is huge. Lamb knows what it takes to reach an All-Star level, and he understands the mental and physical grind of trying to stay in the league.

That mix of experience and empathy is exactly what modern player development departments want. There’s real value in having someone like Lamb around—someone who’s walked the path, hit the highs, and fought through the lows.

What Lamb Brings to the Next Generation

In this new role, Lamb can offer a lot more than just swing tips. He brings:

Jake Lamb’s career with the Diamondbacks isn’t really finished yet. He wears a different uniform now, and sure, the job’s changed, but his influence could still grow—just in a new way, through the players he helps shape for Arizona’s next era.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Jake Lamb Joins D-Backs’ Player Development